The present invention is directed to the application of a thermostat in an automatic hydraulic transmission system for use in vehicles with internal combustion or other types of engines. The invention preserves the mechanical and functional qualities of the vehicle and the system, while allowing the performance of the automatic gearbox to be improved, as the transmission oil is preserved by temperature control which enables the viscosity characteristics of the transmission oil to be optimized, as well as improving the durability and characteristics of the transmission system, such as response time, and driveability. That is, there is a reduction in the time required for gear shifting. In order to have the lubricating oil working at a constant and ideal temperature, it is necessary to have, in the cooling system, a means that could perform such a function. Accordingly, a system and a product have been conceived, as the main objects of the present invention, which consists of the application of a thermostat for use in the control of the temperature of the hydraulic fluid used in automatic gearboxes and transmission systems associated with internal combustion or other engines.
It is very important and absolutely necessary to include the thermostat in the temperature control system of the lubricating oil in the automatic gearboxes and in the transmission system used with internal combustion engines and other engines, to control the temperature of the transmission, assuring good lubrication performance, by optimizing the viscosity characteristics of the oil.
Therefore, the main objective of the present invention is to control the work temperature of the automatic gearbox/gears, by conducting the oil into an oil/air heat exchanger when the oil temperature is above the optimum working conditions, or bypassing the oil so it remains in the lubrication circuit when at other oil temperatures. This also assures the best engine performance with respect to emitted pollutants.
The thermostat basically consists of a thermostatic valve that is disposed in the interior of a housing with a joint seal, constituting a unique integrated assembly, wherein the assembly is applied to an oil/air cooler integrated with the internal combustion engine to control the temperature of the lubricating oil. The thermostat may have varied constructions and have varied forms of fitting/sealing, by means of a screw thread, a snap ring, or by crimping. By controlling the temperature of the automatic transmission oil, it is possible to assure:    minor variation of the viscosity characteristic of the oil;    better quality of transmission response during gear shifting;    better driveability of the vehicle;    less time for gear shifting;    better working temperature of the transmission system during the initial period of engine operation (warm-up).